Kym Worthy

An annual conference of Underground Railroad scholars and enthusiasts is coming to Detroit. The Detroit News reports the event coordinated by the National Park Service will explore the roles women played as leaders along the secret network for runaway slaves. Detroit was the last stop on the Underground Railroad before the Civil War.

Actress Mariska Hargitay plans to join Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy to discuss proposed legislation that would speed up sexual assault kit testing. Worthy's office also says the Detroit Rape Kit Project will be discussed at the press conference later today. She has been pushing for more funding to process the backlog of kits.

Hargitay stars on NBC's "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit." She also is founder and president of the Joyful Heart Foundation. The foundation works with police and prosecutors on eliminating the backlog of testing for sexual assault kits.